The invention relates to an optical cable element having a mantle or envelope in which at least one optical waveguide (OWG) is accommodated. The optical waveguide is surrounded by tensile strength fibers. The strength fibers extend substantially parallel to the waveguide.
The invention further relates to an optical cable having such a cable element, a method of manufacturing the cable element and the cable, respectively.
An optical cable element of the type described above is already known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,423. According to FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,423, the optical waveguides are surrounded, for example, by a common first mantle of synthetic resin on which the strength fibers are arranged. The strength fibers, in turn, are surrounded by further common mantles or coatings. The tensile strength of the cable element derives from the strength fibers provided on the first mantle of synthetic resin. Buckling of the optical waveguide as a result of compression is initially prevented by the first mantle of synthetic resin itself. This, however, reduces the flexibility of the cable element due to its comparatively large thickness.
Moreover, it is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,423 that in general optical cable elements may have strength fibers in their interior. However, a cable consisting of only optical waveguides and strength fibers is not described in this patent.